Shadows of the Still: The Devil's Dew

In this captivating episode of Bourbon: Legends from the Trail, we step into the moonlit shadows of Appalachia to uncover the rebellious history of moonshine—bourbon’s untamed brother. From its roots as a clandestine craft born of necessity to its undeniable influence on American culture, moonshine has always walked a fine line between defiance and tradition. This episode delves into the mysteries surrounding its production, the fiery legacy of its makers, and the enduring spirit that still burns in Kentucky’s hills today.

You’ll hear tales of legendary figures who navigated a dangerous dance with the law, including those who rose to folklore status and others who boldly turned their outlaw ways into family legacies. With every story, this episode shines a light on how moonshine’s unyielding spirit has evolved—finding its way from hidden stills deep in the hollers to the polished shelves of modern distilleries. Get ready for a journey through history, rebellion, and the unquenchable thirst for independence.

Thank you for listening to Bourbon: Legends from the Trail, where history meets flavor and every bottle has a story to tell. Cheers to the stores and legends behind the Spirit! Please leave a rating and review as it will help me plan future episodes.

Transcript

“Hey guys, I just wanted to take a moment and Thank you for tuning in to Bourbon: Legends from the Trail. I hope you’re enjoying the journey so far as I dive into the stories, legends, and history that help shape the world of bourbon

If you are liking the show, I have a small favor to ask. Ratings and reviews are one of the best ways to help this show grow and reach more people who love bourbon or just a good story as much as you do. So if you’re listening on your favorite podcast platform, please take a moment to leave a rating and write a quick review.

Your feedback means the world and helps me keep uncovering these incredible tales. Thanks again for being part of this journey—and now, let’s get back to the Trail!”

Down the road here from me there's an old holler tree

Where you lay down a dollar or two

Go on round the bend come back again

There's a jug full of that good ole mountain dew

Oh they call it that good ole mountain dew

And them that refuse it are few

I'll hush up my mug if you'll fill up my jug

With that good ole Mountain Dew

.This old tune might sound familiar. Written by Scotty Wiseman in 1935 and recorded by legends like The Stanley Brothers and Willie Nelson, it tells the story of the original “Mountain Dew,” some even called it White Lightning in the hollers of Appalachia. But to most, it is better known as moonshine. And here’s the kicker: I’ll bet that not many of you knew that one of the top 5 most popular soft drinks, Mt. Dew, got its name from that fiery, illicit liquor that kept the hills alive after dark.

People ask me all the time while out on the trail about moonshine: the mystery behind it, the thrill of tasting it, and this contradiction. How can distilleries sell products labeled “moonshine” when we all thought it was illegal, cooked up in hidden stills under the cover of darkness? So as you can see, There’s a lot of curiosity—and a bit of confusion—surrounding this age-old tradition.

Today, we’re stepping into the shadows to explore bourbon’s rebel brother…..: moonshine. We’ll answer some burning questions—why is it called “moonshine”? And how do certain brands trace their roots back to the legendary moonshiners who kept the craft alive for generations? This episode kicks off a special series, though not consecutively, that dives into the business of moonshining, the relentless efforts to stop it, and the lasting impact it has on the world we know today.

So if you are ready, let’s step back into the shadows of Appalachia—where the fire of White Lightning, that Mountain Dew…. still burns bright.

Whether you got a glass in hand and a cozy spot to relax as you listen or you are weaving this story into the rhythm of your busy day, its time to prepare for another LEGEND…straight from the heart of Bourbon’s past.

Welcome to Bourbon: Legends from the Trail….where history meets flavor and every bottle has a story to tell

I guess, the simplest place to start is to actually define moonshine and explore its beginnings. At its core, moonshine is high-proof, unaged alcohol, traditionally made in secret to avoid taxes or legal restrictions. But one immediate question is why was it illegal in the first place? After all, early settlers from Ireland and Scotland made whiskey from leftover grains just as their ancestors had done with barley and rye. So when did this creative farming enterprise turn into a criminal act?

Well If you don’t mind, let me take you back to Episode 2 for just a moment, In the episode entitled How Bourbon Came to Kentucky, you might remember Alexander Hamilton’s idea to tax farmers’ spent grains as a way to help pay off Revolutionary War debts to France. This became known as the Whiskey Tax of 1791. Ironically, it targeted the very farmers who had fought in the war. The tax sparked outrage, leading to the Whiskey Rebellion.

To escape the whiskey tax, many farmers fled westward over the Appalachian Mountains or floated down the Ohio River into the untamed frontier, where government oversight was scarce. These bold pioneers included some of the legendary patriarchs of the whiskey world.

Jacob Beam, for instance, led his family out of Maryland and settled in Nelson County, Kentucky. There, he began crafting the whiskey that would eventually give rise to the iconic Beam brand, a name synonymous with bourbon for generations. Elijah Pepper left Virginia and found his home near Lexington, Kentucky, where he started distilling whiskey. His family’s work laid the foundation for what we now know as Woodford Reserve. Meanwhile, Basil Hayden led a group of Catholic settlers from Maryland to establish the Holy Cross area of Kentucky. Basil gained renown for his distinctive high-rye whiskey, which became a regional favorite and lives on today as part of the Jim Beam portfolio under the Basil Hayden brand.

But not everyone chose to leave the settled territories for the frontier. Some defied the tax collectors by staying put and turning to clandestine methods. These early whiskey makers operated under the cover of night, crafting their spirits and trying to avoid detection. While those who ventured into the frontier could distill openly during the day, free from government interference, those who remained had to rely on secrecy and ingenuity to keep their craft alive so they began relying on the night and light of the moon.

Then came the Revenue Act of 1862, introducing an even steeper tax on spirits during the Civil War. This pushed even more distillers to operate in secret, dodging the newly formed revenue agents—better known as “revenuers”—sent to hunt down illegal operations.

Of course, the Volstead Act of 1920, covered in Episodes 8 and 9, took things to the next level. Prohibition outlawed the manufacture, sale, and purchase of alcohol entirely. This drove more people into the shadows, brewing their whiskey under the moonlit skies.

So moonshining at its core, is a process for those who love to make their own whiskey, but do not want to pay the taxes required to do so legally. By Tracing moonshining back to 1791 you could spend hours exploring the stories of the countless men and women who stirred their mash while dodging revenuers hot on their trail. Some of their tales are etched into folklore, while others are documented facts. I could also create an entirely separate podcast devoted to legends both real and made up of famous names in the hills of Appalachia, of revenuers who walked into those hills, and never returned. But for our purposes, I will highlight a few that have ties specifically to Kentucky as moonshining at its greatest was all throughout the mountains stretching from of West VA and  KY, to the Carolinas, and GA.

Take Devil John Wright, for example. You may have even seen this bottle on the shelves as Barrel House Distilling Co. currently makes a moonshine with his name and image on the front. Devil John is as legendary in Appalachia as Paul Bunyan’s is out West. A towering Civil War veteran, he stood out not just for his height, which was unusual for the time,  but for the piercing stare, a stare they say that could unnerve even the bravest man. His name alone struck fear—and respect—throughout the hills.

Devil John lived a double life. On one hand, he was a ruthless moonshiner, fiercely protecting his operations in the backwoods. On the other hand, he acted as a defender of the vulnerable, offering whiskey to those in need—often bartering for items of little value or giving it away for free. His loyalty to family and community earned him a mix of fear and admiration.

In time, Devil John realized the toll of constant fights with other moonshiners and clashes with the law. Those clashes were becoming more violent and deadly.  Deciding it was better to carry a badge than continue running from revenuers, he became a U.S. Marshal and eventually a sheriff. Imagine a man that was a former moonshiner, now hot on the trail of former friends and enemies.  But with his change in outlook, came a man who used his position to help settle disputes and to calm the growing violence in the mountains. The steady paycheck and relative peace suited him, and he lived a long life, passing away in 1934 in Letcher County, Kentucky. His legend, however, still looms large over the hills he once roamed. Just mention the name Devil John while in the mountain towns, and someone is surely to begin spinning a tale they have heard of this mountain legend.

But don’t think for a second that the business of moonshine is all masculine, there are some women who matched and even exceeded the exploits of the men. Take Maggie Bailey, a woman whose story is every bit as compelling as any moonshine godfather. Known as the “Queen of Mountain Bootlegging,” Maggie was born in 1904 on Pine Mountain near the Kentucky-Virginia border. The eldest of six children, she learned the moonshine trade as a young girl, standing on a chair and stirring her father’s still at night after long days spent caring for her siblings and working in the fields.

At age 12, Maggie had learned all she wanted in the one room schoolhouse and took a job at the boarding house in town, working in the kitchen and other traditional women tasks, but all along dreaming of something more.. By 17, Maggie was ready to make her mark. She convinced a traveling gambler to fund her plan and built a still in a building on the outskirts of town. She began supplying coal miners across the region who had come to the mountains as coal mining was booming.  Her moonshine quickly gained a reputation for quality as it was said that it would knock you on your backside before you realized it was happening, and Maggie became a force to be reckoned with.

After Prohibition ended, Maggie pivoted, opening a legal liquor business, Mag’s Place. Whiskey flowed out front, but her famous shine continued to pour out the back. Even as her business grew, law enforcement was never far behind. In 1941, a raid uncovered hundreds of gallons of her moonshine, and Maggie was sentenced to two years in prison.

But prison didn’t break Maggie—it sharpened her. While serving her time, she studied search-and-seizure laws to stay one step ahead of authorities. Upon release, she used $80,000 she’d hidden away at her sister's house to buy a house in Harlan County and to continue her operation. However, Harlan County was a dry county, so Maggie hired some drivers to haul whiskey in from neighboring wet counties. Mag’s Place was open again, as she began running a covert drive-thru from her home. People would say that you would put in your order as you walked through the front door and be handed your jug going out the back.

Over her career, Maggie was arrested 114 times, yet she always walked free as she knew the laws of search and seizure so well, she operated in ways that she could never be nailed down for violating certain laws.. She became a beloved figure in her community, using her earnings to pay for neighbors’ college tuition and hosting gatherings at her home. After one search, an agent found close to $400,000 hidden in her back closet.(you see, outside of buying her house, Maggie had never used any of her money for herself, she never bought a car, never bought clothes, she grew everything she ate. The only place she spent her money, was on others in need)  After news spread of Maggie’s arrest and large some of money, the IRS finally came for her. They claiming she owed $1.5 million in taxes, Maggie, knowing those laws inside and out, outsmarted them again, negotiating the amount down to $18,000. She continued her moonshine business until the age of 95. Maggie passed away at the age of 101, her legacy cemented as a mountain icon.

Even today, while I am sure, there are still people who are running their stills by the moonlight, the spirit of moonshine runs through Kentucky. Legal distilleries have reclaimed the term, honoring its heritage while operating within the law. That is why you can visit distilleries and see bottles of moonshine on the shelf.  One such example is the Neeley Family Distillery in Sparta, Kentucky. Tracing their roots back 11 generations to James Neeley, who arrived from Northern Ireland in 1740 with copper stills in hand, the Neeleys carried their family recipe through wars, taxes, and fierce competition.

The Neeley family’s craft lives on through Royce Neeley, who has brought their storied legacy into the modern age. After his father, Roy, broke with tradition by stepping away from moonshining to become a successful contractor, the family assumed the moonshining chapter had closed. But the moonshine gene, it seems, ran deep. Royce, a student at the University of Kentucky, suddenly stopped asking his parents for money. Curious, Royce’s mom paid him a surprise visit and discovered their son had set up a small still in his dorm room, crafting the family’s legendary shine.

While his parents promptly shut down the operation, Royce’s passion couldn’t be stifled. He convinced them to embrace a new chapter for the family’s moonshine legacy—this time on the right side of the law. Together, they moved to Sparta, Kentucky, and founded the Neeley Family Distillery. Conveniently located just off the interstate, the distillery offers visitors a taste of the old days, with whiskey and moonshine made from the same recipe that has been handed down through 11 generations

So next time you’re driving along I-71 between Louisville and Cincinnati, stop by the Neeley Family Distillery. Pour a glass of their Mountain Dew, close your eyes, and let the taste carry you back to the hills of eastern Kentucky—where the fire of moonshine burns eternal.

“Thanks for tuning in to today’s episode—I hope you enjoyed the journey! If you’re curious about next week’s topic, stick around until the end for a sneak peek. And if you haven’t already, don’t forget to hit that subscribe or follow button.

I appreciate you joining me on this flavorful journey through time and taste… Cheers to the stories behind the spirit.

I’m your host, writer, and producer, Travis Hounshell

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I am your host, writer, and producer...Travis Hounshell and THIS is Bourbon: Legends from the Trail.

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1. Partial Song lyrics to "Mountain Dew" by Scotty Wiseman
2. Devil John by Brady Seals, 2021
https://www.bradyseals.com/post/devil-john
3. Moonshine Mama: Outlaw Maggie Bailey. YouTube documentary by The Appalachian Storyteller
4. The Neeley Family: 11 generations of Whiskey Makers by Steve Akley in Food and Dining Magazine
https://foodanddine.com/the-neeley-family-11-generations-of-whiskey-makers/
5. Bootleggers and Deadly Feuds: How this Distillery keeps its Illegal Moonshine History Alive by Maggie Menderski in the Courier Journel